


Fractures

by Alexandria (heartfullofelves)



Series: Fractures [1]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, F/F, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Post-Episode: s01e13 Recovering the Satellites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-04 14:39:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18606568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartfullofelves/pseuds/Alexandria
Summary: Isobel receives a devastating phone call that changes everything.





	Fractures

The shattered picture frame is all. Isobel stares at it in wonder, reeling at these new powers she has bubbling within her. _She_ did that; used her mind to break this reminder of Noah while sitting a few feet away. She smiles. Now, for the first time, _she_ is in control of her life. She has the strength to move on from all the lies and violations Noah subjected her to.

She’s standing up, about to walk through the house and find every other photo or object that reminds her of Noah and destroy them too, when her heart freezes in her chest. She gasps, eyes widening as cold floods through her body. But she’s fine, so it must be her brother she’s sensing.

Her phone rings. The caller is Liz, and that’s when she knows for sure: something’s wrong with Max.

“Hello?” she says, voice wobbling. “Liz, what’s wrong?”

“Uh, Liz told me to call you.”

“Oh my god.” She almost drops the phone, one hand clapped to her mouth. She knows that voice. “Rosa?” she whispers.

“Uh, yeah. Liz needs you and Michael to come to the cave. Right now.”

It takes her a second to process the fact that she’s talking to _Rosa_ before she can say, “I’m on my way. And Rosa?”

“Yes?” Rosa sounds confused. Of course she does. Freaking hell, she’s been brought back from the dead.

Isobel’s voice shakes as she tells Rosa, “It’s good to hear your voice.” It’s not a lie; in some strange way she _is_ glad. The last thing Noah said — _Take care of her —_ makes sense now. He knew they would find Rosa, and he must have guessed that Max would bring her back out of love for Liz.

She ends the call and sprints to her car.

She speed-dials Michael. Since he doesn’t answer after two attempts, she leaves a message, saying she’s on her way to Sanders’ Auto and will pick him up. Muttering in frustration, she steps down on the accelerator.

When she pulls up in front of the Airstream, there’s someone sitting outside but it’s not who she wants. She gets out of the car, slamming the door behind her, and storms over to Alex Manes.

“Where’s Michael?” she demands. They’re the first words she’s spoken to Alex since the school reunion, and before that she can’t recall them ever speaking to each other. But there’s no time for pleasantries.

He stands up. “I don’t know. Guess he’s not showing up after all.”

“You were waiting for him?”

“Yeah,” is all he says.

She scowls. “He’s probably at the Wild Pony. Trust him to be day drinking when there’s a family emergency.”

Alex frowns. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not completely sure,” she admits. “But it’s catastrophic.” In a strange way, saying it out loud makes her feel better.

“You didn’t look surprised to see me here,” he points out.

She shakes her head. “I know about your messy relationship. And Michael told me you know everything about us. Look, do you want to stand here talking or do you want to help me find him? It’s urgent.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He sighs. “Sure. I’ll come with you.”

They get into Isobel’s car and drive away from the junkyard, Isobel speeding once again. She tosses her phone to Alex and tells him to use her tracking app. Leaving him to work it out, she concentrates on not crashing, knowing that maybe she shouldn’t be driving in her panicked state. Whatever’s wrong with Max, Liz got someone else to call Isobel. That doesn’t bode well at all.

Once Alex confirms Michael’s location, the drive to the Wild Pony seems to last forever, but at last they arrive. Tyres screeching, Isobel pulls into the parking lot and turns off the engine, leaving her keys in the ignition as she hops out of the car. Alex is hot on her heels.

They run into the bar, Isobel calling Michael’s name. They find him sitting on a stool with a guitar in his hands and Maria watching him play, a shocked look on her face. Michael looks up as Isobel almost collides with Alex, who has halted in his tracks.

Isobel looks at Michael. “Come. Now.” Her voice is authoritative, and she watches the smile fall off his face.

He glances at Maria. “I’ll be back later. Stay open?” He puts down the guitar and crosses over to the bar, picking up his hat.

Maria just nods.

Isobel frowns at this exchange, but when she notices the stiffness in Alex’s posture things fall into place. This is Michael moving on from the past.

“Come _on_ ,” she demands, because this is taking too long. They should be there at the mines, with Liz and Max. And Rosa.

Michael seems to get the memo, and follows Isobel and Alex to the car. Nobody complains about her driving as she rushes along the open road, dread running through her veins as she thinks about what they might find when they arrive.

“What’s happened?” Michael demands from the back seat.

She glances at him in her mirror. “You didn’t feel it? A flash from Max?”

“No. But you did?”

“It went cold,” she explains. “The connection, I... I can’t feel him anymore.”

He curses under his breath. “And how do you know where you’re going?”

“Well, it’s simple.” She assumes a light tone. “Rosa called me.”

Alex and Michael’s joint shout of “What?” is almost amusing. But before she can reply, they arrive at their destination outside Noah’s secret cave. There’s a second vehicle parked next to Liz’s.

“Whose car is that?” Isobel asks.

“It’s Kyle’s,” Alex says, shoving open his door.

“Of course _he’s_ here,” Michael mutters as they get out of the car and slam the doors shut.

Isobel doesn’t answer, instead running to the cave and not stopping until she sees Rosa and Kyle Valenti watching Liz crouched on the ground, sobbing over—

“No,” she whispers.

A surge of energy blasts through the cave. The books and pictures on the shrine Noah created for Rosa float around, causing havoc.

Kyle ducks as something flies towards him. “Whoa. Guerin, stay calm.”

“ _Calm_? Seriously?” Michael shouts. There’s pain and anger in his voice, but it’s nothing compared to what Isobel’s feeling.

“That wasn’t him,” she says, and crouches beside Liz, leaving the others to ponder over her comment. Staring at Max’s peaceful face, she touches his cheek. It’s cold, too cold, and she knows she’s too late. Her chest aches.

There’s a touch on her shoulder, and she looks at Liz’s tearstained face.

“I’m sorry.” Liz chokes on the words, and Isobel wraps an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

Together, she and Liz weep. And for the first time, she doesn’t care who’s watching as her façade breaks.

It could be minutes or hours before Rosa breaks the silence in the cave. “So who’s gonna tell me what the _hell_ is going on?”

Everyone turns to look at her, but it’s Kyle who clears his throat and touches Rosa’s arm. “Come outside. I’ll fill you in.”

Alex follows, leaving Isobel, Liz, and Michael with Max’s body.

“What are we going to do?” Liz asks, still tucked under Isobel’s arm. It seems she’s taking as much comfort from the touch as Isobel is.

Wiping her cheeks, Isobel glances at Michael, whose eyes must be as red as her own. “We’ll put him in a pod,” he says.

Isobel’s first instinct is to argue, to say that Max deserves the dignity of a burial. Her throat feels raw, making her voice hoarse.

Liz agrees. “I didn’t go to Rosa’s funeral,” she says. “I can’t not go to Max’s.”

“All right.” Michael sits next to Isobel. “What’s our cover story?”

Everyone already knows that Noah was struck by lightning in the big storm; Isobel’s parents are making funeral preparations. Now they need a cover for Max. She’s sick of covering up deaths. Fiddling with her hair, she racks her brain.

But Liz beats her to the solution. “He can’t be dead,” she points out. “His body would have to be examined; they’d find out your secret. He has to go missing.”

Isobel nods. “He’s finally gone on that Europe trip he planned to do after high school. We were all surprised, but Liz dropped him at the airport and we’re happy for him and can’t wait for him to return.”

Michael exhales. “Okay.” He puts a hand on Isobel’s shoulder. “Where do you want to bury him?”

Liz winces. “I, uh, I’m gonna go check on my sister.” She gets up and leaves the cave.

Isobel and Michael exchange worried glances.

“Is she okay?” Michael asks.

She stares at him in disbelief. “The love of her life just sacrificed himself to resurrect her sister who’s been dead for 10 years. Yeah, Michael, I’m sure she’s fine.”

Shooting her a dirty look, he kneels beside Max. He closes Max’s eyes and moves his arms from their outstretched position to by his sides. Isobel shudders, grateful that he’s willing to give Max that dignity. It’s not something she can bring herself to do right now.

“So,” he says. “We should find him a grave site.”

She exhales. “Let’s talk to the others first.”

They walk out of the cave. Not expecting daylight during her family’s darkest hour, the sun is harsh in Isobel’s eyes. It takes her a moment for her eyes to adjust, and then she sees the group standing there, huddled around Rosa. The sight of that is even stranger than the clear blue sky above.

“We’ve told Rosa everything,” Alex informs her and Michael. “We were just discussing where she’s going to stay, since the whole town thinks she’s dead. I’ve offered my cabin.”

Isobel looks at Rosa, wrapped up in the blanket that had covered Noah’s pod. The girl looks so lost, and it touches her in a way she hasn’t felt in a long time. “You can stay at my house,” she says, causing everyone to stare at her. “It’s the very least I can offer you.”

Rosa laughs. “Seriously? You, Isobel Evans, asking me over? The world really has changed without me.”

Isobel steps closer to her but leaves a respectful gap. “If you can stand to look at me after what happened to you, we should talk.”

“Fine,” Rosa says. “You do owe me.”

Given the circumstances, smiling is the least appropriate thing to do. But Isobel and Rosa exchange small smiles anyway, and it warms Isobel’s heart.

Liz wraps an arm around her sister. “I can take you there now, if you like.”

Michael clears his throat. “You should probably say your goodbyes to Max first.” He catches Isobel’s gaze. “We’re about to find a final resting place for him.”

The humans all look at each other, then follow Liz back into the cave. A few minutes later, Kyle and Rosa are the first to come back out.

“I’m going to drive her to your place, Isobel,” Kyle says. “I’d like to do a medical examination, make sure my sister is healthy. And then I’m going to call Jenna Cameron and tell her that her partner is dead.”

“Sister?” Isobel and Michael repeat.

Rosa gives Kyle’s arm a gentle punch. “Yeah. My mom and his dad.”

Stunned, Isobel turns to Kyle. “Did you and Liz get your DNA tested before you slept together, or after?”

He winces, but Rosa steps in. “We can talk about this later. At your house.”

“Fine. The spare key’s under the cactus by the back door. Spare room’s made up. Help yourself to anything. Just watch out for broken glass.”

Rosa frowns, but heads off towards the cars, followed by Kyle. Remembering some of the things Rosa had told her 10 years ago – or rather, had told Noah – Isobel makes the connection and realises that Rosa had known about her true parentage before she died. It’s something to ask Rosa about later.

The next people to come out of the cave are Liz and Alex. Alex has an arm around her waist, Liz an arm around his shoulders. They come to a stop in front of Isobel and Michael.

Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Liz says, “I’m driving back to Roswell.” It comes out as a pained whisper. “Do what you have to do. But put a marker up so I know where he’s buried.”

Michael squeezes her arm, nodding.

“Of course,” Isobel tells her as she walks away.

When Alex makes to follow, Michael grabs his arm, pulling him back. “Will you... Will you help us bury him?”

The vulnerability in Michael’s eyes is too much, as is the sadness in Alex’s. Isobel can’t look at either of them as Alex agrees to help.

The three of them get to work finding an appropriate site. Once they find a place that’s discreet, Michael uses his powers to shift the sand and create a hole. Isobel helps him out. It’s exhausting work and at the end of it, Michael pulls a bottle of acetone out of his jacket, chugs some down, and hands the bottle to Isobel.

“You really drink that?” Alex is staring at them.

Michael smirks. “I did tell you.”

Alex shakes his head. “Anyway, since when can Isobel move stuff with her brain? I thought that was your special thing.”

Isobel swallows her mouthful and replaces the cap on the bottle. “Turns out we have all this untapped potential. We’re more powerful than we thought.”

Michael frowns at her. “But how did you know you could do it? Were you practising?”

“Yeah.” She shoots him a dark grin. “I shattered a picture frame.”

“Let me guess, the photo was of Noah?” Michael tilts his head in amusement.

“Of course.”

They return to the cave. The three of them lift Max using their physical strength and carry him to his resting place, muttering curses because Max is not a small man.

Isobel checks if Alex’s leg is okay, but he says it’s fine.

“I kept telling Max that just because he was a cop didn’t mean he had to eat so many doughnuts,” she says.

Alex almost drops him.

Michael chuckles, and Isobel is glad they can find humour in the situation even now. It means they’ll be okay in the end.

On the count of three, they lower Max into the grave.

“We’ll hold a memorial for him,” Isobel promises as they stand there, looking at how still Max is. “With just the six of us.”

“Yeah.”

Michael hugs her then, and she wraps her arms around him, unsure if she’s holding him or he’s holding her. As tears drip down her cheeks and fall on his shirt, she feels him shaking. They stay like that until the tears stop falling and the shakes stop coming. She pulls away first, wiping her face with her sleeve and wishing she had tissues. Alex ducks his head as she catches him looking.

She pats Michael’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”

He nods, eyes shiny after the tears he’s shed. “Let’s do it.”

With one last look at Max, they shift the sands again, covering Max in a heavy blanket. It’s not as hard to fill in the hole as it was to dig it, and out of the two of them, only Isobel needs a sip of acetone when they’re done.

“Liz wanted a marker,” Alex reminds them.

Isobel glances at him and Michael. “I know what to do.” She crouches and draws a picture in the sand with her finger. Although she doesn’t remember ever drawing it without having had a blackout beforehand, the lines and the circles come to her.

“What is that symbol?” Alex asks.

“It’s Max’s tattoo,” Michael says. “It’s an alien symbol; we think it’s linked to our home planet. Never did get to ask Noah.”

Isobel sighs, but doesn’t say anything. This was his and Max’s fight, not hers. She refuses to get involved in it while they’re standing at Max’s grave.

“I’m going home,” she announces. “Either of you coming with me?”

Michael shakes his head. “Someone needs to find Max’s car and take it to the junkyard, where it belongs. Perfect cover.” He glances at Alex. “You want a ride?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Alex doesn’t look too enthused, but it’s none of Isobel’s business. Satisfied with Michael’s plan, she heads back to her own car.

As she drives back to Roswell, she calls her mom and tells her not to expect Max at Noah’s funeral, because he’s swanned off to France.

Ann, her mother, is appalled. “He’s not coming to his brother-in-law’s funeral?”

Frowning, Isobel must keep up the lie. “I just talked to Liz, and his flight left before anyone could even tell him Noah was dead. He’ll be arriving in Paris to a hundred voice messages and missed calls.”

“Silly boy,” Ann sighs. “I’ll give him a good seeing-to when he gets home.”

Isobel doesn’t argue. “Anyway, I’m driving so I’d better go. I’ll come over tomorrow.”

“Of course, darling. Take care.”

“Bye, Mom. Love you.”

She ends the call and turns on the radio, letting it blast through the speakers. The music drowns out her thoughts, for a short time at least. She needs the quiet. By now, the sun had begun to set, and she keeps glancing at the beautiful sky. Along with the music, the sunset helps calm her.

When she pulls into her driveway, Kyle’s and Liz’s vehicles are parked where she normally leaves her car, so she has to park on the grass. It’s a small inconvenience, but what’s new? Nothing else that’s happened today has been convenient.

She enters her house, where Liz, Rosa, and Kyle Valenti are standing in her living room. Looking at them talking in hushed tones makes everything come rushing back, and she heads straight past them to lock herself in the bathroom. Stomach heaving, she kneels in front of the toilet and stares into its depths. She vomits, but it doesn’t make her feel any better; if anything, she feels worse, all cold and shaky. Once again, tears fall down her cheeks as she sobs. She lets the tears come, aware that losing a sibling is something people never stop crying over. In half a week she has lost her husband and her brother – she’s allowed to feel like her life is over.

But crying is exhausting, and after a while the tears dry up. She can hear voices in the other room and knows it’s time to come out and talk. She washes her face and reapplies her lipstick, staring at herself in the mirror. Her reflection looks the same as always, except for the sadness in her eyes and the circles under them. Grabbing some concealer to fix the circles, she wishes she could fix the visible sadness too.

The conversation stops when she walks into the living room and faces Rosa, Liz, and Kyle. Seeing them all there makes her question her decision to invite Rosa into her home, but she can’t back out now without looking like the heartless bitch her real self was when she interacted with Rosa as a teenager.

“Hi,” she says, because this situation couldn’t be weirder, and she has no idea how to deal with that.

To her relief, Kyle steps in and informs her that Rosa is healthy, all things considered, and it’s like she’s woken up with a bad hangover, no memory of the night before.

Isobel stares at Rosa’s pale face, lips parted in surprise, and wraps her arms around herself. “You don’t remember that night?” She can’t bring herself to say _the night you were killed_.

“No, I don’t remember any of it. I just know what these guys have told me. It sounds like a nightmare.” Rosa’s eyes dart from Isobel to Liz to Kyle.

Kyle clears his throat. “I think I’m done here. But I’d like to come back tomorrow and talk to you, Rosa. If Isobel’s okay with that.”

“Of course.” Isobel nods.

Rosa’s smile is small but it’s there as she goes to hug Kyle. “Yeah, well, we’ve got a lot to catch up on. Bro.”

He chuckles, and Isobel can’t miss the beam on his face as he hugs his half-sister. “We’ll work on that one.” He wraps Liz in a tight hug too before taking his leave.

Liz hovers by Rosa’s side, not taking her eyes off her.

Isobel says, “You guys can sit down, you know.”

Liz glances at her, startled, then turns back to Rosa. “I don’t want to leave you alone for even a second. But I haven’t seen or talked to Dad for days; he’ll be worried if I don’t come home tonight.”

“Go,” Rosa reassures her. “I’ll be fine. Just come back first thing in the morning with some clothes. This blanket is peak fashion but it’s not very practical, you know.”

Isobel’s heart hurts at Liz’s teary laugh. She tells Liz she’s welcome to come over as early as she wants and to stay all day, because she’ll be at her parents’ house. The gratitude in Liz’s eyes is palpable.

“Look after my sister,” Liz says. “And don’t you dare hurt her.”

Dismayed, Isobel steps back. Even now the truth is out, Liz thinks she would hurt Rosa? That stings. For one thing, she doesn’t hurt people – not on purpose, anyway. And she has no reason to wish Rosa harm, even if her resurrection means the loss of Max. Isobel has to tell herself that Liz is just lashing out because she’s lost Max too.

The sisters embrace, Liz murmuring something in Rosa’s ear. Rosa murmurs something in return, and both have watery eyes when Liz pulls away and walks out the door and into the night.

Now Isobel and Rosa are alone. Isobel slumps onto the couch, gesturing for Rosa to do the same. They eye each other up, not knowing what they can say to each other to make any of this even the tiniest bit okay.

Readjusting the blanket around her shoulders, Rosa breaks the silence at last. “This is weird.”

Eyebrows raised, Isobel crosses her arms. “Really? What part of waking up 10 years after you were murdered by an alien possessing my body is weird?”

Rosa fixes her with a serious stare. “The part where you don’t like me after all is still weird. Noah told me his secret a while ago. Before I died, I mean. After that, I avoided you— _him_ as much as I could.”

Oh boy. Isobel lets her head fall back against the back of the couch. “Here’s the thing,” she says, avoiding looking at Rosa. “I didn’t remember knowing you before you died. Did anyone tell you about Liz’s serum and the antidote?”

Rosa nods.

“Okay. The antidote gave me back my memories of you. In the memories, I wanted you so badly, and I would’ve killed to ensure your safety and keep you mine.” Looking at Rosa’s face, Isobel guesses it feels as weird to hear these words as it does to say them. She sighs. “After finding out about Noah, I’m left with the knowledge that I was right; I didn’t know you and I didn’t have any reason to kill you. But the memories I have contradict that. I don’t know how to feel about you, because according to my memories, I loved you!”

Rosa’s dark eyes are wide as saucers. “That’s a lot.”

“I haven’t even mentioned the guilt yet,” Isobel says.

“About covering up my death?”

“Yes.” Isobel puts her head in her hands. “We made you into a villain – an addict from an undocumented family who caused two other girls to die. I’m so sorry for that.”

She glances up at Rosa’s young, sad face and knows she and Max and Michael are to blame for ruining Rosa’s life. Because Rosa can’t turn up in Roswell and announce she’s alive; she’d be arrested for driving under the influence and killing Kate Long and Jasmine Frederick. Covering up the deaths was never a good idea.

Rosa exhales. “I don’t know what to say. This is so messed up.”

“I know,” Isobel whispers, pushing past the lump in her throat. It seems she isn’t done crying for the day, after all.

“Can I have a shower?”

She chokes out a laugh. “Of course. Bathroom’s through there. I’ll leave you a towel and something to sleep in.”

Rosa gets up from the couch and heads to the bathroom. Even wrapped in a heavy blanket, it’s clear that her movements are stiff. Being a corpse for a decade can’t be good for your muscles and joints, Isobel thinks and has to stifle a hysterical giggle. The bathroom door closes behind Rosa with a loud click.

Isobel stands and goes to the linen cupboard to get a clean towel before looking in her drawers for some pyjamas. Any clothes she has will be miles too big for Rosa, but she doubts Rosa cares about that right now. There are bigger things to worry about.

After shouting that she’s dumped a towel and pyjamas outside the bathroom door, she lights the fire, because it’s winter and this house gets cold at night. Then she goes into the kitchen and makes some hot cocoa. It’s been too long since she last ate or drank anything, and sugar is good when you’re in a state of shock, which she’s definitely in. Staring at the stovetop, she tries not to think about Noah making her the same drink after she’d come home from being in a pod for six weeks. She tries not to remember any of the times he looked after her when she was low. All those memories are tainted now. They’re worthless.

She pours the hot cocoa into two cups, figuring her guest could do with the comfort too. Seeing a dead girl brought back after 10 years is indescribable for Isobel; she can’t begin to understand what it must be like to _be_ that girl.

When Rosa comes back out, all clean and wearing Isobel’s pyjamas, Isobel stares. It takes Rosa waving a hand in front of her face for her to break out of her reverie and offer Rosa a mug. They sit at the kitchen bench, sipping their hot drinks and not looking at each other. The loud ringing of Isobel’s phone is a welcome relief.

“Hi Michael,” she says.

“What are you up to?”

She takes a mouthful from her mug. “I’m hanging out in my kitchen with a recently undead Ortecho girl. Who is actually a Valenti. What are _you_ doing?”

He chuckles. “Nothing, just wanted to check in.”

“I’m functioning,” she tells him, because it would be a barefaced lie to say she’s okay. “Did you talk to Alex?”

His sigh is deep, exhausted. “I really don’t want to talk about that. How’s _your_ love life, the one concerning Rosa?”

She locks eyes with the girl in question, then puts down her mug and walks out of the room. “Complicated. I still have those feelings for her, even though they’re not actually my feelings, they’re Noah’s. It’s gotten worse now she’s back in the land of the living.”

“Yeah,” he laughs, “you’re right. Your romantic troubles do trump mine.”

Time for a change of subject, she thinks. “How are you coping with Max?”

“With booze and acetone.”

“Just a normal Tuesday then.”

“It’s Monday,” he informs her. “How are you coping?”

“With hot cocoa. Alcohol will just make me even sadder. I’m going to my parents’ house tomorrow.”

“Good. Do you want me there with you?”

She smiles. “That would be nice. But I told them Max was a jerk who ran off to Europe as soon as the airport reopened after the storm, so he doesn’t know about Noah dying.”

He whistles. “So I’d have to not look like I’m mourning Max.”

“Exactly,” she says. “But I’d like it if you came.”

“I’ll be there,” he promises.

They fall silent for a while, the only sound that of their breathing. Then Isobel brings up something that’s been bothering her ever since she drove back from the mines. “Did we do the right thing? Burying Max?”

He sucks in a breath. “I don’t—”

“Maybe we could’ve saved him. With these new powers we’re developing, maybe we could’ve worked together to bring him back. Maybe we should’ve put him in a pod after all.”

“No, Iz. No, I don’t think so. We saw what happened when Max played god. You remember how long it took to control our powers the first time around? Trying to bring him back to life could kill us both.”

She sighs, hating how reasonable he’s being. But he’s right.

“We have to let him go, Iz.” Even over the phone, his voice wobbles.

“Are you crying?” she asks, but he doesn’t answer. “Okay, I’ve gotta go. See you tomorrow at my parents’ house.”

She hangs up and returns to the kitchen, where Rosa and her lukewarm cup of cocoa await.

“Are you okay?” Rosa asks, looking at her with pity.

She nods, and sniffs, dashing at the tears that have leaked down her cheeks. She picks up her drink to finish it off. Then she sets the mug down on the bench and looks straight at Rosa.

“My brother died bringing you back,” she says at last, sounding rough.

Rosa flinches. Her back straightens, creating distance between her and Isobel.

“I’m not saying it to make you feel guilty for something you had no say in. I just need you to know my state of mind.”

“I’m sorry,” Rosa replies. In a slow, hesitant movement, she reaches out and covers Isobel’s hand with her own. “You’re grieving. I can’t imagine losing a sibling; you must be in so much pain.”

Instincts tell Isobel to avoid the touch, but the sympathy in Rosa’s eyes tells her not to move away from it. “Liz knows what it’s like.”

“Yeah. Still wrapping my head around that.”

“And your dad lost his daughter. Both your fathers did, I guess.”

“What about my mom? Does she know I’m dead?” Rosa’s head falls forward, her pain evident. “God, that’s something I never thought I’d ever say.”

Isobel shakes her head but moves her hand on top of Rosa’s and squeezes. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Liz.”

That reminds her that she should check in on Liz, like Michael just checked in on her. Liz will be at home with her dad, unable to tell him anything about the events of the past few days. She’ll need support.

Isobel says she’s going to call Liz to see how she is. At Rosa’s nod, she picks up her phone again and dials Liz’s number. It rings for what feels like an age, and Isobel’s convinced it’ll go to voicemail when Liz picks up.

“Isobel? What’s wrong? Is Rosa okay?” Liz sounds frantic.

“Whoa, everything’s fine,” Isobel rushes to reassure her. “I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. Are you okay?”

Liz lets out a relieved sigh. “I’m fine. Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” They’re both lying, and they know it. It speaks volumes about their relationship. “Do you want to talk to Rosa? She’s got a question for you.”

“Of course. Put her on.”

Isobel hands the phone to Rosa and tells her to talk for as long as she likes and hang up when she’s done, because she’s going to bed.

Rosa stares at the phone screen. “How do you hang up?”

Isobel frowns. “It’s an iPhone; hang up the usual way.”

“I’ve never touched an iPhone before today.”

That’s when it dawns on Isobel that Rosa has missed out on 10 years of technological advances. “This button here,” she says, pointing.

She stands up and stretches, grabbing their dirty mugs and putting them in the sink. “Good night, Rosa. Oh, don’t look at my internet history.”

“Internet history? On your cell phone?” Shaking her head, Rosa puts the phone to her ear and says hello to Liz.

Isobel could use a shower, but exhaustion has fallen over her, so instead she goes to the bathroom to remove her makeup, brush her teeth, and pee. She picks up the old blanket that Rosa left on the floor and throws it in the trash. Then she goes to her bedroom, where she strips off her clothes and puts on one of her satin nightgowns. It still feels strange, getting into bed on her own. There should be the warm body of her husband lying beside her, giving her a goodnight kiss before wrapping an arm around her and going to sleep. But Noah isn’t here; never again. Everything is different now.

Despite her exhaustion, it takes her hours of tossing and turning before she gets to sleep. But sleep offers no respite, as a charred body floating in a pod haunts her dreams. The corpse is faceless, adding to the nightmare. When at last she sees who it is inside the pod, she screams Rosa’s name.

A knock on her bedroom door makes her wake up with a gasp. After catching her breath, she gets out of bed, wraps a blanket around her shoulders, and opens the door.

“Are you okay?” Rosa asks. “I heard you scream.”

Isobel deflates, everything coming back to her. First she nods, then she shakes her head. “Bad dreams.”

“At least you got to sleep,” Rosa says. “I’ve given up and am keeping the fire going.”

Isobel looks past her to look at the fireplace. The fire casts a cosy glow over the living room. “Would you like some company?”

Rosa offers a small smile. “Sure.”

So, keeping the blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Isobel follows Rosa into the living room and sits beside her on the couch. They face the fire, watching the flames instead of each other.

Rosa covers herself with a blanket she must’ve taken from the spare room. “Before I woke up, it was summer,” she says.

“I know what you mean,” Isobel replies, as if the change in weather is the only thing giving Rosa a shock. “When I got out of my pod after those six weeks, it was suddenly cold, and it was _snowing_. It was horrible.”

Rosa laughs. “Are we seriously talking about the weather right now?”

“I guess so.” Isobel smiles, because it’s nice to talk about something so mundane after the least mundane day they’ve had. “What did Liz have to say?”

“Well, everyone knows I’m dead, including all my family. She’s at home, but she’s going to get some repairs done on Max’s house and then move in there. I’ll probably stay there too.”

Isobel nods. “That’s a good idea. You’ll have to hide when we can’t pretend Max isn’t missing anymore, though.”

“I know. But it’ll give us time to make a plan.”

Sighing, Isobel says, “What do you want to do?”

The question makes Rosa groan. “I’m so sick of everyone asking me that. I don’t know, okay? I just want to be happy again.”

“Yeah, me too.” Isobel looks at Rosa, noticing the passion in her eyes. This is a girl who wants to really live. But she’s got a hell of a past, and no future. And Isobel is to blame.

She wants to make it right, make Rosa happy. But even if she were in the right frame of mind to do it, she doesn’t know where to even start. The best she can do for now is to keep her safe.

Rosa raises her eyebrows. “You’re grieving. You don’t have to be happy yet.”

“I know.” Isobel yawns. She hadn’t noticed the tiredness creeping over her again, but she supposes it’s the warmth of the fire making her drowsy, because she’s ready to fall asleep. “It’ll take time.”

“It will. First, you’ll be okay. Then, you’ll be happy.” It’s not bad advice, coming from a young, messed up kid.

To Isobel’s surprise, Rosa shuffles closer and lays her head on her shoulder. It feels good. Closing her eyes, she smiles and rests her cheek on the top of Rosa’s head. If she and Rosa can lean on each other like this for a while longer, Isobel thinks, maybe the road to being okay won’t be so long.

Their breathing synchronises until sleep’s greedy fingers pull Isobel under and under. This time, she sleeps until morning.


End file.
